Ask MBA

Q: I’m looking for my first dual-suspension bike and gathered the Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp is a great option, but also that the Camber is an excellent choice for the budget conscious. My other favorites are the Trek Fuel EX 7 and EX 8. I’m 6’3″ and 220 pounds and love to race my buddies […]

Q: I’m a 6’5″, 195-pound aggressive trail rider. I built up a Niner R.I.P. 9 as my first 29er, and riding it for the first time was literally a revelation. For a guy my height, I’ve never experienced bonding with a 26er frame like I did with my R.I.P. 9. My confidence has soared, and […]

Q: I am 5’6″ and 145 pounds. I want a fast, efficient, light, and, most of all, inexpensive hardtail cross-country race bike for cross-country and endurance racing as my second bike (I already have a Yeti 575). What bikes would you suggest for $2000? -Gabriel, ready to race MBA: Can we throw you a […]

Q: You recommended the Xdream by Trixster indoor trainer for obvious reasons, but assuming I don’t want to spend that amount on a spinning bike, do you have other recommendations on good indoor training systems? -Carl, pedaling in the carport MBA: We are the wrong guys to ask about indoor trainers, because we seldom have […]

Q: I’m looking to get a fork for my Giant Reign, and it’s between the RockShox Revelation RLT Ti and the Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti. Your thoughts? -Billy, ready to boing MBA: We are totally enamored with the Marzocchi 44 RC3 Ti. When we tested the fork in September of 2010 we stated, “On the […]

Q: I ride a RockShox Revelation dual-air fork. The positive air chamber’s cap is super hard to unscrew compared to the negative air chamber cap that I can remove with my fingers. Should I use pliers to unscrew the cap, or will that cause damage? -G.A., with sore fingers MBA: Using pliers will indeed mess […]

Q: The G2 offset on the Trek Fisher Collection forks is proprietary. Can I purchase an aftermarket fork with a different offset and be pleased with the performance? If I can’t buy a new fork, can I get the existing Cobia fork revalved and modified so that I would have compression and rebound adjustments? -Morris, […]

Q: I’m a high school freshman and racing in the So Cal Mountain Bike Racing League. I am looking to buy a 29er full-suspension mountain bike that is light enough for cross-country racing, yet durable enough for more technical singletrack. My budget is between $2,500 and $3,000. Suggestions? -Hunter, who wants to haul A: At […]

Q: The Garage Files “Poor Man’s 2×10” article (August 2010) on the FSA 386 2-ring crankset has sparked an interest in looking at a 2-ring option for my Trek Fuel EX 8. Is there any reason the new SRAM X7, X9 or X0 2-ring cranksets would not work well with a 9-speed cassette? The SRAM […]

Q: I have an ’08 Yeti 575 with a Fox RP23 shock, with 2.1-inch Kenda Nevegals at 32psi. I run the shock’s ProPedal set to 2, and the bike feels faster and more effortless over all terrain, climbing rocky fire roads or single track, or hammering on the flats over mild to minimum trail chatter. […]

Given its technological superiority, I wonder whether Honda’s unique RN01 gearbox featured in MBA of June 04 was a one-time episode in mountain bike history that is over, or whether any manufacturer has licensed the technology to bring it to the market? –Stefan MBA: The first Honda gearbox we featured in MBA (the multi-cam, ratcheting […]

Q: I am a Clydesdale weight rider. I ride a 07′ Cannondale Rush 6 with a stock bar/stem and fork setup. The frame is large with a 100-millimeter stem and a low-rise bar. I am finding that when I am going down technical downhills, log-piles, and other obstacles that point the nose down, that I […]